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Energy Sharing for Swarms Modeled on the Common Vampire Bat

Intelligent Systems and Networks Group, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, UK, m.witkowski{at}imperial.ac.uk

This article reports on observations arising from the use of a simulator in the conteXt of energy sharing (trophallaXis) that might be applied to swarms or communities of energy critical robots. Using food-sharing behavior reported for the common vampire bat species Desmodus rotundus, it is presumed that such robots would gather naturally occurring but limited fuel materials and convert them to energy as required. Energy sharing can bring substantial benefits to the group as a whole in situations where suitable materials are encountered unevenly by members of the population, in a manner insufficient to guarantee the continuing survival of any individual. Using the simulator the survivability of groups is investigated under various regimes, including sharing and non-sharing, the effects of energy dependents, group size and non-sharing defaulters. The role of reciprocation in feeding is also considered.

Key Words: trophallaXis • common vampire bat • swarm behavior • reciprocal feeding

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